The Moment
by valele
Summary: What if the situation had been a little different? What if, for example, George and Nora never got married? What if Derek and Casey had met differently?
1. Prologue

'**Ello, all! This is a story I thought of a while ago and just now started writing. I hope you like it!**

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Prologue

We've all seen Derek and Casey. We all know how much they despise each other, how much they fight. It's one of those things that are understood, something rhetorical, like how you don't ask a woman's age or assume a man can do more than one thing at a time. (Just look at Nora and George.) They've never gotten along. They never will. End of story.

But… what if the situation had been a little different? What if, for example, George and Nora never got married? What if Derek and Casey had met differently? Would it have changed their relationship? Would it have made everything different? Or would it have been the same way?

I've always wondered why things happen the way they do. Why does the glass fall off the table instead of the person catching it? Is it because their reflexes weren't fast enough, or because that way, it set off a chain reaction and the night ended with… I don't know, an ambulance? Or a kiss? (Okay, yes, I am a hopeless romantic deep down.)

My point is that things could happen one way or another with completely different results. If Nora and George had never gotten married, things would've been completely different. Yes, we've established this. The thing is, how would this have affected us? And more importantly, Derek and Casey?

This is the story you'll hear now.

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**So, prologue with mystery girl narrator. :) Review and I'll update as soon as I can! I'm going to have more time from now on to write, so I'll have updates more often.**


	2. Chapter 1

**So, I liked this story so much I wanted to write the second chapter already, so here I am! Amazing, I know. I wanna dedicate this to one of my favorite reviewers, BlobFish, first for being an amazing reviewer and second because I still owe her a one-shot. LOL. So this is for you!**

**Also, if you have a Twitter, follow me! My username is valenbfm. Stop by and say hi!**

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Chapter 1

_Lizzie_

When Edwin and I met, I was absolutely and completely sure this was the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. All it took was one glance across the crowded restaurant and… okay, no, it wasn't really like that. Actually, I was sitting at the booth waiting for my table (and my friend) when the next thing I know, my pretty new dress that Casey made me buy two years ago was soaked and I was staring at the guy with the cutest smile I'd ever seen.

Yeah, that's how it went.

Of course, if you ask Edwin, his answer will probably sound something like, "We met at a restaurant when she was so attracted to me she couldn't look away." Yeah, that's totally not what happened. Which is why you shouldn't listen to him.

Anyway, okay, so our meeting was somewhat disastrous and… well, wet, but he asked me out after laughing for so long we had tears streaming down our faces. My friend? She never showed up, or I guess I don't know if she did. I'd already left with Edwin, who had been waiting for his little sister, but just texted her not to come.

That would be how, ladies and gentlemen, Edwin Venturi and I started dating. We kissed when he drove me home, asked me out on a second date, and so on. After lots of dates and moving in together and all that stuff, he proposed to me on our two-year anniversary.

Yeah, so in a month, I'm going to be Mrs. Lizzie Venturi. I honestly can't believe we're getting married, that I, Lizzie McDonald, the eternal tomboy, will be married. With a husband and all! I mean… Never mind, you got it.

I guess before I move on I should tell you a little about my family. See, my mom got divorced when I was a kid and never remarried, so it was always my mom, my older sister Casey and I. Casey's is my confidante, the one person I will tell absolutely everything to, and my mom is… Well, she's my mom and I love her, but she's a little absent-minded at times and can be – simply put, Casey's more in charge in our family than my mom is. She's always taken care of me (not that my mom hasn't been able to or anything) and she's always been there for me. That's one of the main reasons why I always went to her for everything and why she knows virtually everything about Edwin and I.

_Edwin_

I love Lizzie. Why do I love her? Well, first of all, she's the only girl who can keep up with me when we talk about hockey or any sport, for that matter, and she doesn't spend hours obsessing over her weight and what she eats (not that she has to at all) and she doesn't make me go shopping with her. That's a big one. The girl I dated before her was the complete opposite, and honestly, I'm glad I'm not with her anymore.

Besides, there's no one better than my Liz. She's just so damn gorgeous and sexy and she's just… I honestly look up to her. I couldn't imagine being with anyone else because I know there isn't one person out there who will complete me as much as she does. It's hard to explain, really, because feelings are so much more than just words, and what I feel for her is more than just a feeling. Am I making any sense?

I am honestly so glad I met her at… Wait, where did I meet her? I met her at a restaurant, right? Oh, yeah! And I think she was staring at me – yeah, that's it. She was staring at me so I figured I'd go talk to her because she seemed to like me so much. So I did and we got to talking and I ditched Marti to hang out with her.

Okay, our first kiss? The words that come to mind are earth-shattering, mind-blowing and other hyphenated adjectives of the sort that would express greatness. And I'm usually not very dramatic, mind you. So that I describe it as that, well, that means it really has to be beyond amazing. And it was. I remember perfectly…

"_So, is this the part where I discreetly play with my keys to subtly tell you I want you to kiss me?" Lizzie asked._

_I chuckled. "Why don't you just tell me? I think it would save us both a lot of time," I said. Lizzie smiled, this adorable smile that really made me want to kiss her (more than I already did) and instead took out her keys, jingling them in front of my face._

"_Point taken," I said, putting a hand on her waist tentatively. Lizzie's smiled widened, and she dropped her keys back in her purse. I took her hand and entwined our fingers, and she put her other hand on my neck, pulling me down to her level._

_It was the second before our lips met, the second in which I looked into her eyes and made my decision, that changed our lives completely. No, our worlds weren't turned upside down when she placed her lips over mine._

_No, I can't say it felt as if the world stopped moving. I never felt it moving in the first place. It was just a kiss, but as cheesy as this sounds, it somehow sealed our fates. From that moment on, Lizzie and I were going to be together, the two of us as a unit. A couple._

"Edwin, I know you really want the Gators to win, but don't waste your time daydreaming about it. Alabama is still going to win," Lizzie said, grinning at me.

I rolled my eyes. "It's not daydreaming. It's anticipating what will happen," I shot back. "What will _inevitably_ happen."

"Wow. Someone's in denial," Lizzie said, opening the car door and getting out. I followed her and see Derek's car parked next to my dad's car, which was behind Marti's, which was next to the car I could only assume was Casey's, since Lizzie's mom was getting out the backseat of my car.

"Good thing we have a big driveway," I told Lizzie, smiling.

Lizzie smiled weakly at me. "This doesn't sound like it was a very good idea," she said.

Nora came up behind her, putting her arms around us. "There's no need to worry, kids. This will be fine," she said before walking into the house.

I shot a look at Lizzie. "Why are you so worried?" I asked, wrapping my arms around her waist.

"You don't know Casey. I know her, and I know Derek," Lizzie started, "and trust me, they're not going to get along."

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**So, what'd you think? Please review, and I will hopefully have the next chapter up by this weekend!**


	3. Chapter 2

**Well, everyone, here's chapter two! Enjoy! This one is dedicated to Angel for being such an awesome friend :).**

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Chapter 2

_Casey_

I don't like guys. No, I am _not_ saying I'm a lesbian, I am simply stating my opinion on specimens of the male kind in general. Guys are messy and irresponsible and smelly and they all think with their… crotch, to say it somewhat nicely. So, yeah, I don't like guys very much because if it weren't for them, then girls wouldn't have such complicated lives. The world would probably be a better place, too. Just think about it! Men have been in charge this whole time, and what do we get? Global warming and overpopulation. Stupid men.

Okay, so maybe I am a little bitter, but I have a perfectly good reason. I'm talking about the biggest jerk to ever have lived, even worse than Sulla in ancient Rome who posted a list of the people he hated and basically killed them all and eventually retired as a farmer in the countryside. Anyway, his name is Jordan and he is the worst guy ever and an idiot and I hate him. Actually, I used to love him, but that's beside the point. Why is he such an idiot? Because he just decided one day, after four years (yes, _four_) of dating, that he didn't want to be with me anymore, and why? Because my alleged best friend Katrina was better in bed.

Oh, and how long were they sleeping together for? You wanna know? They went behind my back, sneaking around and just _fucking_ every chance they got for, oh, um, I don't know, about _two years_. You can imagine how I'd be mad, right? I mean, here's my boyfriend and my best friend, the last two people I'd ever expect something like this from, except that's what happened. My best friend of ten years and my boyfriend were sleeping together for two years. Oh, and where are they now? Well, now, a year after Jordan and I broke up, they're happily engaged and planning their wedding.

My mom always used to joke that I would end up a bitter old lady with 29 cats because I was "too serious" and "would scare guys away with my intensity." I guess I did, didn't I? Huh. Look at that. My mom was right. And after my asshole of an ex broke up with me, I spent approximately three months crying over him. No matter how many times my mom called and Lizzie came and knocked on my door, I wouldn't come out. When I do come out, Lizzie called me, desperate because she needed so much help and I was just so good at all this wedding planning stuff, I had to help.

I couldn't say no, could I? I mean, she's my little sister and I love her. I want to help with her wedding, and I _am _good at planning parties. So that's how I ended up as my sister's main party planner, which I totally knew she asked me to do to distract me, but I figured I'd help anyway. Better me than that idiot party planner anyway. "Call me Barbie," she would tell everyone. Freakin' retard. I could plan a wedding with my eyes closed better than she ever could.

Anyway, so I ended up helping with my sister's wedding, which was, of course, extremely distracting, so I guess my sister's idea worked.

_Derek_

"_You're_ engaged?" I asked, looking at Edwin incredulously when he told me his news. Edwin, my little loser brother Edwin was getting married? Lizzie was hot, too! How the hell did that happen?

"Gee, Derek, don't be so nice. Yes, people do in fact get married quite often," Edwin said, rolling his eyes. "Besides, Lizzie and I love each other. Why wouldn't I marry her?"

"That should be pretty obvious, Edwin," I said. "Commitment is bad. Commitment is a no-no. Just look at me! I'm perfectly happy and not committed at all."

Edwin snorts, which is one of those really lame things he does all the time. "Yeah, you're only 'not committed at all' because Mandy or Mindy or whatever her name was broke up with you _because_ you wouldn't commit," he said.

I guess he's right. Isn't he? I mean, Mindy – or was it Mandy? – had a great relationship (and an even better sex life) but I wasn't about to commit, so she broke up with me because she couldn't be in a relationship that wasn't going anywhere.

Maybe I'm just not made for commitment. Should I try it out, though? Maybe it won't be so bad.

Wait, whoa. What did Edwin put in my drink, that he's got me doubting my not-committed status? Seriously. I think I was drugged. I mean, I'm Derek Venturi. Girls are dying to go out with me, right? And I _have _had people (seriously, not just girls) swoon over me. So why would I want to commit to one person when I can have anyone I can?

"That's not true. I'm not committed because I don't want to be," I said, nodding, convinced of this. Except Edwin didn't seem so convinced, because he rolled his eyes again.

"Derek, be honest to yourself. When was the last time a girl broke up with you because you were a jerk or whatever other reason and not because you wouldn't commit?" Edwin asked.

I think about it. There's no way in hell he could ever be right. I mean, he's Edwin. Edwin just isn't made to be right. But… I mean, lately, all the girls I date break up with me because there's no future to our relationship.

This is awful! Could it be that I'm losing my popularity because of my reluctance to commit? Can that even happen? I mean, I'm Derek Venturi, for crying out loud! Stuff like this just doesn't happen to me!

"You look like you're panicking inside," Edwin said simply. I glared at him and rolled my eyes.

"I am not panicking, okay? Derek Venturi does not panic," I said. "Now stop talking or I will inevitably hit you."

Edwin rolled his eyes and stood up. "Alright, Derek. You're not panicking. I gotta go, but I'll talk to you later," he said.

I glared at his back until he disappeared, then frowned deeply. What the hell is going on? What am I going to do? What if – God forbid – I have to commit to a girl to have sex ever again?

That's it. I know what I have to do. I have to find a girl and date her and commit to her. That's what I'm going to do. It's what I _have_ to do to be at the top of my game again.

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**Haha, well, someone's determined. You know how it goes – leave me some love! Next chapter should be up this weekend if you're nice to me. LOL.**


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